Updates to this story
Google, the company that has been spotted having talks with the CIA but is not evil and definitely has no agenda, and definitely does not have armed patrols around HQ in GoogleWagons, is starting to invest in relatively cheap-as-chips Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs).
Wiwo.de reports that the manufacturer of the UAVs, called Microdrones, has confirmed it's been sending kit out to Google HQ. Boss Sven Juerss has said he reckons Google and his company have a great opportunity to go into long lasting business.
Probably. Google has a squeaky clean image in the public eye even AFTER its street view SNAFU. The UAVs being flogged are mini helicopters with cameras attached that can be flown about all over the place. They're quiet and resemble sci-fi UFOs for the vertically challenged alien.
They can fly up to 80km per hour, so Microdrone CEO Sven Juerss suggests they'll be brilliant for mapping entire neighbourhoods really quickly and relatively cheaply.
Even before Google started data mining on open web networks its Street View operations were controversial, with Google Maps picking up on people who didn't exactly want their faces plastered all over the internet. With the kind of high-angle aerial shots this sort of kit can achieve, it boggles the mind as to the sort of images that may be accidentally captured.
Civilian UAVs tend to be stealthy and quiet and can reach great heights. They are able to record high definition video as well as take snapshots and can be used for live streams. Surveillance teams, police forces and militaries the world over are trialling civilian UAVs - but these are government sanctioned, not a privately owned company that already has a data monopoly.
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Google seems to have been subconned by the US DoD for data mining, so it wouldn't be a stretch to cooperate with the FBI and the Border Patrol, using thermographic sights to indicate homes with unusual amounts of heat sources and unauthorized border crossings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle
Perfect for voyeurs, both official and personal.
Privacy? What's that?
You're right, I'll fix that. Thanks!
Peter, according to people in the know who I have chatted to it depends on the product. I think currently the microdrone can't support that many. I have no doubt other UAV options can be kitted out with a relatively heavy payload while still being able to fly stealthily.
Rich, shut the blinds! I've immediately stopped the sunbathing on my roof, you know, just in case the satellites didn't pick me up already.
An interesting article you guys may like about UAVs:
http://www.aviationbull.com/2010/jun/16/pressure-faa-approve-uav-operations-civilian-airspace
What a lot of crap you do talk
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Yep, now that programming has been created for all sizes of UAVs, from micro-copters up to Global Hawk, although I hope U.S. military doesn't start selling to Google, sensor platforms are a function of weight capacity of UAVs.
And as long as flight plans are filed, and civilian UAVs carry transponders, I'm not suprised FAA approved them for civilian airspace.
I wonder how long it will be before terrorists pack a large commercially available UAV with explosives and fly it into a target. Nah, that's right, I forgot, they LOVE to sacrifice themselves. Some nonsense about 72 virgins, as if those ragheads would know what to do with a virgin pig...(Who said virgin had to be human?)
After 45 years of playing cat-and-mouse with USSR subs, U.S. Navy is very good at knowing where things are in the water.
Beth: Google is in pocket of any administration, whatever it takes to make money, but I agree with description of current admin.